Tales of a Seductress

TOAD – Chapter 67

“Did you know about this?” I asked.

The banquet had ended, and as soon as things calmed down, I had demanded that the Truthsayer take me to Oberon. I was a little surprised that he did so without complaint, considering he had often ignored similar requests in the past. I ended up being taken to quarters not particularly different than my own, except that it wasn’t even in the same mansion. Despite my original belief, Oberon hadn’t just stashed me away in a room. He had separated us by an entire mansion. It only reminded me that he had never intended to spend any time with me in the first place.

When I entered the Demon King’s chambers, he was sitting at a desk writing fervently, his back to the door and a cup with some hot liquid next to an enormous pile of papers. He was wearing something a bit less formal than at the previous event, but he wasn’t exactly in his pajamas either. He looked a bit like an accountant if a particularly broad-shouldered one. This hampered my image of him quite a bit. A demon king should be ruling from a throne of skulls, not quietly writing papers at his desk while drinking tea.

He was the demon king capable of ruling an entire realm. Even the humans couldn’t manage that, having broken up into countless countries that squabbled among each other almost as much as they fought the demons. The only thing the humans could agree on was that the demons were a greater threat, and it was the only reason that both sides had reached a stalemate. If the humans were more organized, they might have been able to overthrow the demons, and had there many more demon supporters, their coalition might have been overrun by the demons.

I had spoken without even introducing myself, but Oberon didn’t even turn back to glance at me before answering. He stopped writing for only a moment.

“How could I?” the Demon King answered.

“You can’t pretend you didn’t know anything!” I responded with a huff.

He let out a dark chuckle even as he continued to write, creating an audible scribble with each aggressive stroke. “I cannot see the future, Aria. I might have considered that things might go this direction, but I had no clue it would end up this way.”

I crossed my arms, trying to let him feel my anger through that rugged back of his. “You could have at least told me.”

He finally stopped, gently putting his pen down with more care than he was showing the scribbles on his page, and then turned around in his chair, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. “Would you expect me to tell you every possible outcome I considered for every decision I make? If this was the case, then I would have no time but to educate you.”

It would have been better if his voice was dripping with sarcasm, but he spoke in the same overbearing way he always spoke, showing very little emotion. His words were spoken so frankly that I couldn’t help but feel like I was the one being shameless and in the wrong. I dropped my arms, making a vexed noise.

“I read all of your books. I haven’t read anything about this queen’s trial.”

“They are exceptionally old. I had nearly forgotten they were a thing, as had most everyone else. I can’t imagine what book Tigon dragged those out of, although it’s not surprising a fossil as Sammuel would like them.”

“Is the queen’s trial a problem?” I asked curiously.

Although they told me that once I agreed to it, I could learn about what it was, the rest of the procession had given me no time to speak, and the result was that I was no more knowledgeable than I had been before accepting it.

“A problem?” He scratched his beard curiously. “That depends on your definition of a problem. In many ways, this could be a good thing. Sammuel has a great deal of influence still. He’s also a stickler for the rules and agreements. If you succeed in the trial, he will unquestioningly support you, and that will bring many houses to our side. Tigon has publicly differed from Sammuel’s judgment. This means that you will face no additional opposition on your rise toward being my queen.”

I frowned slightly, giving him a suspicious look. “You’re being a bit too enthusiastic. What are the negatives?”

His lips curled up, but they didn’t touch his eyes. “The trial involves an ancient artifact. It is notoriously insidious. Historically speaking, only ten people have ever entered the trial.”

“Yeah? How many succeeded?”

“One.”

“You… who was it?” I asked.

“It was me.” He responded.

“You?” I blinked. “I thought this was the queen’s trial?”

“I said it was an ancient artifact. It was only written that a woman must be able to pass through the trial of the ancient artifact to be considered the demon queen. The same rule was written for a king. I went through the trial so that people like Tigon wouldn’t be able to question my leadership and strength. It is one of the reasons I’ve managed to hold the throne for so long, despite how many snakes are biting at my ankles.”

“At least you’re aware of how the realm currently sees you,” I responded, coming out a bit snappier than I intended.

“In my prime, a man like Tigon wouldn’t have dared question who I picked for my queen.” He sighed. “However, in the end, with you by my side, it will all be worth it.”

“Why me? Why a queen? The true answer.” I narrowed my eyes. “And don’t give me that crap about having a legitimate heir. The demon realm doesn’t care about that at all.”

That had been the question that had been plaguing my mind ever since Oberon had come for me. I may have been a demon queen in title, but there was no true reason that I needed to be a queen. They valued strength, so even if he had a queen, a mistress’s child could just as easily become the next ruler if it was strong enough. Any child he had would have to become as strong as him, or he’d be usurped as soon as Oberon died.

Since this was just about making babies, I wasn’t the kind of girl who needed to be married first. He said it himself. He could have any woman he wanted. I could believe he picked me because of my ability to pass on the monster genes. I had already served as an incubator and proven my worth for having strong babies with powerful bloodlines. However, before I had destroyed that rape factory, Oberon could have sent a turkey baster full of his seed and I could have pumped out a dozen of his spawn without ever knowing the father.

That wasn’t entirely true. He said there was an incompatibility caused by our difference in levels. I wasn’t convinced that my unique skills and disposition didn’t make that negligible, which was why I hadn’t hesitated to push our sexual relationship forward. It was a shame he hadn’t been willing, but it still seemed odd he wanted me as queen. He could have taken me as his mistress, leveled me up, and then had me bear his babies.

Oberon’s lips tightened for a moment. “I apologize. I am unable to tell you at the moment. I have my reasons. You will have to bear with it. All that I can tell you is that I have made plans. Those plans meet their fruition with you.”

My eyebrows rose a bit. I was surprised that he spoke honestly for once. I couldn’t imagine the answer. After a few moments, I gave a little sigh.

“These plans… are they the reason you’ve allowed your control to degrade to this point?”

“Yes.” He gave me a sharp look. “The only reason I have allowed the likes of Tigon and his ilk to disrespect me, and the reason I have tried to delay a war with the human realm even as it makes my leadership appear weak, is all because of my plans. Once finished, all of their schemes will be meaningless. The realm will become stable, and my place on the throne, as well as your place beside me, will never be threatened again.”

“My place…” I considered those words.

Ever since coming to this world, I had never had a place. Then again, I wondered if I had ever had a place back home either.

“If you complete the trial, there will be other benefits beyond the political,” Oberon added.

“Oh? And what is that?”

“The ancient artifact puts you through a trial of the soul. In a way, one could say that it refines your soul. Your mana levels will increase considerably.”

“I already have a lot of mana.” I continued to act resistant.

“It will also help you reach the 4^th class.”

My ears perked with that one. “I’m not even level 90 yet.”

“It doesn’t matter. It is the way of this world. A person first acquires their class sometime in their teens. A few apprentices might acquire it earlier as long as their instruction starts young. Until you acquire a class, you are unable to level. Children remain at level 1. This class will carry you to level 30. Then, you must class up, and evolve your class to the next order. This always involves a revelation. You must come to realize and choose your path. For example, a swordsman must decide if they will learn magic, learn to use their sword with a shield, or rely on brute strength. Whatever they choose, it will shape the kind of swordsman they become in the future.”

“Yes, I’m well aware of all that.”

I had never heard any of this. It might have saved me a lot of time had I known these things back then. I had no one to teach me about leveling, and I had done it all on my own. I knew that every class had its unique ways to class up, and it was often a trade secret only shared between those already in the class. That meant it was difficult to even find their ways to give myself a hint on how it was done.

“Once you reach level 60, your next evolution is based on self.” The demon king continued. “You must understand who you are. Only by becoming one with yourself can you follow down your path farther.”

“And… what of level 90?” I asked, genuinely intrigued.

“The final evolution is known as the evolution of destiny. You must understand your place in the universe. This is why no mere blacksmith or swordsman can reach it. Only those with a higher purpose can truly realize their destiny.”

“Destiny…”

I had never heard about this before, but his words sounded convincing. Yet, what destiny did I have to play? I had come to this world from another. I had access to so many unique skills that I’d even make heroes jealous. Why was I here? What was I supposed to do?

“Typically, your class doesn’t change when you break through level 90. Rather, your class should have already matched your destiny. I am the demon king, and my destiny is to rule the demon realm.”

“This artifact… it helps you figure out your destiny?” I asked cautiously.

“It forces you to see your greatest weaknesses. It shows you your strengths. It helps you see the path more clearly. At least, that was what it did for me. I cannot say for certain whether you would have the same experience once you stepped through.”

“Stepped through? What is this artifact? What is this trial?”

“It’s not a secret.” Oberon coughed. “It’s a doorway. When you step through, you’re sent to a testing ground of sorts. There, you will be faced with seven trials. These trials will test… many things.”

“Why kind of things?” I narrowed my eyes.

“In ancient times, the test used to have another name. The trial of the seven cardinal sins!”

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